


A Glass To Warm The Heart

by UnluckyLeek



Series: Vergil / Lady One Shots [2]
Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: F/M, Fluff, New Year's Eve, New Year's Fluff, New Year's Kiss, New Years
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:55:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28429644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnluckyLeek/pseuds/UnluckyLeek
Summary: A sort of sequel to my 'Cracks in the Ice' piece but can also be read alone.It's a week after Christmas, and Vergil and Lady have seemingly deepened their friendship in that time. When Vergil reads about a certain New Year's tradition, a plan formualtes in his mind to try and make his feelings known. But will he be able to go through with it?
Relationships: Lady & Vergil (Devil May Cry), Lady/Vergil (Devil May Cry)
Series: Vergil / Lady One Shots [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2082354
Comments: 4
Kudos: 18





	A Glass To Warm The Heart

"Thanks for joining us, we really appreciate it," Nero shouted over the thumping music, lightly patting his father on the shoulder as he appeared at the bottom of the staircase.

"You didn't give me much choice," Vergil said coldly. His eyes darted around the crowded foyer of Devil May Cry. For reasons still unclear to him, Dante and Nero had decided to host their New Year’s party at the shop this time. Much to Vergil's irritation, Dante had somehow hidden the Yamato from him the night before - no doubt to prevent a repeat of the ‘Christmas incident’, as Nero had taken to calling it. Truth be told, Vergil knew _exactly_ where his sword was, but he'd decided to play along in order to have an excuse for why he was attending. He'd much rather they believe Dante was behind it than have them find out the _actual_ reason he was here.

He glanced around the room again and sighed internally. Still no sign of _her_. Unlike before, this time he had actually read up on some of the usual New Year's 'traditions', and had been both surprised yet oddly intrigued when he came upon a note about how people often kissed at midnight. Although he had ignored the strange feeling that had come over him at the time, he had been unable to stop himself from feeling just a little bit of excitement as the day drew closer. With only two hours to go and still no sign of her however, he soon found his anticipation turning into concern.

"Hey, you finally made it!" Dante called out, drunkenly making his way over. "I was worried you were gonna spend all night in your room as usual!"

"I was unable to rest with all this noise," Vergil stated. While that was partly true, the real reason he had finally emerged was to see if she had perhaps entered without him realising. He had been listening carefully as each guest arrived, and had actually managed to sneak halfway down the staircase on a few occasions to check the attendance without being noticed. He would have returned to his room again, had his idiotic son not accidentally caught sight of him.

"What can I get you to drink?" Dante asked. "We've got pretty much everything you could-"

"I'll pass," Vergil said flatly. "I'd rather keep my wits about me."

"Aww come on brooo," Dante slurred. "You'll never have fun if you stay sober all evening! We've been drinking for hours!"

"...I can see that," Vergil said, casting a disdainful eye up and down his brother's swaying form. "I'll be fine, it's only a couple of hours."

"The party doesn't end at midnight you know," Dante grinned.

"Hey Vergil," Trish said quickly, walking past with two bottles of cider in her hands. Vergil watched as she made her way over to a very intoxicated looking Nico and a nervous looking Kyrie sitting on the sofa.

"Excuse me for a moment," Vergil said, rejecting a can of beer that Dante was trying to shove into his hands. He slowly approached the group of women and cleared his throat. "...Good evening," he began calmly. "I was wondering if-"

"Welllll look who it issss," Nico garbled almost incoherently. "Finally decided to-" she hiccuped. "...to show, huh?"

"Hello Vergil…" Kyrie said, giving a small wave. She was holding what looked like a glass of lemonade.

"Looking for something to drink?" Trish asked cautiously. She was still never sure how he would react around her.

"Something else actually…" Vergil replied. "Do you happen to know where…" he trailed off and sighed. He couldn't easily ask for her whereabouts without looking obvious. Perhaps he should just retreat upstairs after all.

"She's out on a job," Trish said, taking a large gulp from her drink. "She wanted me to tell you that she still plans on making it though."

"She-" Vergil started, before calming himself. "Why would she want to tell me something like that?" he asked, acting as nonchalant as he could muster.

"I think you know," Trish answered with a wink. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Vergil huffed, crossing his arms. "Drunken buffoons, all of you."

"Whatcha all talking about?" Nero asked, suddenly appearing behind Vergil. He made his way over to Kyrie and sat down heavily on the sofa, in between her and Nico. "You doing okay babe?" he added, slinging an arm over her shoulders.

"I'm alright…" Kyrie replied, taking a small sip of her drink.

"I know it's tough when you don't like alcohol," Nero said, placing a light kiss on her cheek. "Just let me know if you need anything, okay?"

"I too have opted not to consume alcohol," Vergil butted in. He wondered if he should perhaps offer to spend some of the evening with Nero's woman while he waited for _her_ to arrive. At least she would probably be able to string a coherent sentence together.

"Not if I can help it," Dante said, walking over and forcing a glass of red wine into Vergil's hand. "Come on, one sip won't kill ya."

"I already said no," Vergil replied sternly, trying to hand the glass back.

"Is that the wine Lady dropped off the other day?" Trish queried. Vergil stiffened and immediately ceased his attempts to rid himself of the beverage.

"Oh yeah, I think it might be," Dante said after a moment's thought. "Yeah that's right! She said it was probably the only thing Vergil would drink and brought it over specifically. Pretty nice of her, eh bro?"

"She brought this… for me?" Vergil asked quietly, giving the burgundy liquid a light sniff.

"Apparently," Dante shrugged. "Said she wanted you to enjoy yourself as much as possible this time round."

"That's…" Vergil grunted then slammed the glass down on a nearby table. "Ridiculous," he grumbled. "You're just trying to make me drink something."

"Hey, it’s up to you man - I'm just telling it how it is," Dante said.

"If he don't want it, I'll take it," Nico slurred, followed by a large belch. Vergil shuddered.

"...I'm going for a walk," he huffed, angrily grabbing the wine glass again.

"Don't wander too far," Dante called after Vergil as he yanked the front doors open. "We don't want a repeat of the-" His words were cut off as the doors slammed shut behind the elder twin.

Vergil took a deep breath of icy December air. There was still a thin layer of snow on the ground in some places, and there was a light fog rising. He sighed and swirled the wine around slowly. Of course she must have brought this for him - nobody else knew it was his favourite. He looked around quickly and then took a few small sips. _Pinot Noir_ , of course… He smiled to himself. To think she had memorised something like this about him in less than a week. _And to think he had become so easily enamoured with her in the same amount of time..._

He walked slowly down the street, heading towards the payphone he had learnt to use for this sole purpose. As he stepped inside however, he hesitated. Perhaps calling her while she was working wasn't the best idea - he wouldn't want to distract her and cause her to put herself in danger. He slammed his fist against the side of the booth, mentally chastising himself for caring so much. Since when was he bothered whether someone else injured themselves or not? He downed the rest of his wine in one swift gulp and stepped back outside. _Foolishness_.

The fog was growing thicker now, and he reached down to his side, only to curse as he remembered the Yamato was no longer in its usual place. _How irritating_. He started to stroll back leisurely, hoping to waste as much time as possible in order to avoid dealing with the others. A pleasant warmth was beginning to spread over him as a result of the wine, and for a brief moment he allowed himself to relax a little, before correcting himself. He needed to have full control if he wanted tonight to go as planned, lest he ruin things indefinitely. He wondered if she too was aware of the tradition, or if the notion was an outdated concept by this point. _Even if she is aware, there’s no guarantee she’ll-_

“Vergil?” Lady’s voice beside him took him by surprise, almost causing him to drop the empty glass he was still holding. He looked up to see her sitting on her motorbike, staring at him with a bemused expression. He was shocked he hadn’t heard the vehicle approaching. “What are you doing out here?” she asked, carefully balancing the bike. “You’re not running away again are you?”

“You’re late,” Vergil stated, unsure how to respond. It was obvious from the torn clothing and blood stains that she had come straight from the assignment she was dealing with. He felt a mild pang of disappointment at not being able to see her in something more elegant.

“You’re lucky I’m here at all,” Lady chastised him. “I didn’t even have time to go home and change.”

“It’s your own fault,” Vergil said, continuing to walk back to the shop. Lady turned off the bike’s engine and hopped off. She rolled it alongside her as she followed him.

“Well excuse _me_ for wanting to help people,” Lady retorted.

“We both know you’re in it for the money,” Vergil responded with a light smirk.

“Money that bought you that wine you love so much,” Lady said, pointing to the glass at his side. “I’m guessing I chose well?”

“It was forced upon me,” Vergil replied. “I only had a small sip and threw away the rest.”

“Wow, that red after just one sip huh?” Lady teased, noting his flushed features as they passed under a streetlight. “You really are a lightweight.”

“Silence woman,” Vergil barked, his face reddening even further.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Lady smiled, punching him lightly on the arm. “I just hope you left enough for the toast at midnight, that stuff’s expensive!”

“I’ve only had one glass,” Vergil finally admitted. “And I don’t plan to have any more.”

“I, on the other hand, expect I have a lot of catching up to do,” Lady laughed as they finally approached the doors of Devil May Cry. “Feel free to go in without me, I need to park up.”

“I can wait…” Vergil said hesitantly.

“It’s fine, really,” Lady said sternly. “I’ll join you soon.”

“If that’s what you wish,” Vergil replied, somewhat confused. He gave her a light bow and headed inside.

“You’re back!” Dante said enthusiastically, making his way over. “I was worried for a second I might have to come find ya again!”

“I ran into-”

“Excuse me,” Trish said hurriedly, barging past them.

“Oh man, not you too!” Dante called after her. He staggered slightly, then slung an arm over Vergil’s shoulders and dragged him towards the alcohol covered desk at the back of the room. “Is this a bad party or something? Why’s everyone keep running away?”

“Unhand me,” Vergil snapped, pushing his brother off of him. He looked over the variety of bottles in front of him then turned to Dante again. “Where’s the wine?”

“The wha…?” Dante asked, rubbing his eyes. “Man I don’t feel too good…”

“The _wine_ you fool,” Vergil hissed. “The one you forced into my hand?”

“Oh _that_ ,” Dante said hiccuping. “I think Nico took it-”

“That _wretch_ ,” Vergil growled, stalking over to the sofa. Nico looked up at him with a shaky grin as he towered over her. “Hand it over,” he commanded.

“Whatchu talkin’ about?” Nico slurred.

“Return the wine immediately,” Vergil stated, once again reaching for the Yamato and angrily clenching his fists when he found it absent.

“Issit me or does he look like he’s about to punch me?” Nico asked, turning towards Kyrie.

“What’s going on here?” Nero inquired, exiting the bathroom. “You better not be threatening anyone-”

“This harlot stole something of mine,” Vergil said, pointing at Nico with an accusatory finger. “I am merely asking for its return.”

“I ain’t stole nothin’!” Nico protested, getting unsteadily to her feet. She squared up to Vergil and pounded her chest. “You wanna go big boy? Come at me-”

“That’s enough, Nico,” Nero said sternly, getting between her and his father. He turned to Vergil. “As for you - I don’t appreciate you accusing my friends of things they haven’t done. You apologise to her, right now-”

“Forget it,” Vergil huffed, storming away from them. He glanced over at the front doors, wondering what was taking Lady so long to come inside. He was just about to head out again when Dante grabbed onto his sleeve.

“I found it!” Dante said happily, thrusting the bottle of wine towards Vergil. “I left it in a cupboard by accident, sorry…” Vergil grabbed the bottle and held it up to the light, squinting to try and see how much was left. He let out an annoyed tut when he realised that it was only half full. “I uh, might have tried some,” Dante admitted, dodging out of swatting range as Vergil swung his fist towards him.

“No-one else is to touch this,” Vergil growled, heading towards the staircase. He planned to hide what was left in his room and retrieve it when it was time. With one last peek towards the doors, he headed upstairs.

He took the few moments he had alone in his room to compose himself a little. He had let his emotions show far too easily this evening - and over a pathetic bottle of wine at that! He sighed, laying back on the soft covers of his bed. Perhaps he _should_ just run away somewhere for the rest of the night…

The heavy bang of the shop doors caused the bedframe to shake, and Vergil quickly sat up again, trying to listen for any snippets of conversation over the relentless bass of the music that had been playing all evening. He heard what sounded like a low whistle followed by two female voices. One was definitely _hers_ … He silently got up from the bed and moved closer to his door, straining to hear what they were talking about.

“...I think he went upstairs,” he heard Dante say. There was a muffled sound of what seemed to be disappointment, and then some more words he couldn’t make out. He stepped back and paced up and down for a moment, wondering what he should do next. There was still an hour left until midnight - could he really handle socialising with everyone for that long? More importantly… He ran a hand through his hair. Would he really be able to contain himself in her presence without giving his plan away during all that time? _What_ is _your plan exactly?_ he asked himself. He still had not yet decided if he would be the one to act first, or if he should wait for her to do it. What if neither of them made a move? He let out an annoyed growl and slammed his fist against the wall. _Why should either of us have to do anything?_ _And even if it does go ahead, what exactly are you expecting to happen as a result?_ He sighed. If only there were some other way to make her realise… He shook his head in frustration. _I should just go back to ignoring her, just like everyone else-_

There was a soft knock on his door, pulling him out of his train of thought. He froze, once again reaching instinctively for his weapon (unsuccessfully, of course). “Hey, you in there?” It was _her_. Vergil straightened up and took a deep breath, unsure of what to do. He could easily pretend that he wasn’t here… “I’ve got a surprise for you,” Lady said coyly. Vergil felt his face flush again. He clenched his fists.

“I’m not interested,” he lied, making his way over to the door.

“I think you will be once you see what it is,” Lady replied, seemingly trying to hold back laughter.

“Leave me be.”

“I will after you open the door.”

Vergil hesitated for a moment, then angrily grabbed onto the door handle, yanking it open. “What could possibly be so important that you-” His breath caught in his throat as he finally caught sight of Lady standing in front of him. In stark contrast to the bloodied combat gear she had been wearing earlier, she was now dressed in an extremely figure hugging navy coloured cocktail dress, that stopped just above the knee. From there her legs were covered in sleek black stockings, accompanied by a pair of dark blue heels.

“W-What do you think?” she asked nervously.

“How did you…”

“Trish helped me,” Lady explained. She was clearly more than a little embarrassed, and appeared to be struggling to keep her balance. “Sorry, I’m not used to wearing things like this,” she added as she reached out to steady herself on the doorframe.

“I don’t understand,” Vergil said, still in visible shock.

“The wine wasn't the only thing I dropped off the other day,” Lady grinned. “I had a feeling I’d be late, so I had Trish help me get ready at a nearby hotel.”

“You look…” Vergil cleared his throat. “Why would you go to such an effort for a pointless occasion like this?” he grumbled.

Lady adjusted the hem of her dress, looking slightly crestfallen. “I told Trish this was a dumb idea…” she mumbled. She sighed. “I’m sorry for bothering you.”

“Wait,” Vergil said firmly, taking a step forward. “While I don’t fully understand your reasoning for doing so, the outfit itself is…” He quickly looked her up and down once more. “...It suits you,” he stated, glancing away.

Lady’s face lit up. “So you _do_ like it?”

“I never claimed such a thing,” Vergil huffed, crossing his arms. He stiffened as Lady stepped forward and pulled him into a light embrace. She had been doing that more and more in the last week or so, and although he was yet to fully return the gesture, he couldn’t deny that he was starting to enjoy the experience.

“Thank you,” Lady said happily. Her shoes had given her added height, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder briefly. She turned her head as though to give him a peck on the cheek, but then seemingly thought better of it and stepped back again. “Will you be joining us?” she asked.

“Closer to the time,” Vergil said quietly, trying to ignore the feeling of warmth creeping up the back of his neck. Why did he so desperately want to pull her back towards him? He folded his arms even tighter, trying to ignore the strange tingling feeling spreading through his body. He _hated_ this.

“Still enjoying the room huh?” Lady asked, looking over his shoulder. “Nice to see you’ve managed to keep it tidy.”

“Would you like to come in?” he asked, without thinking.

Lady looked at him in surprise, and for a moment it almost seemed like she was considering it. Instead she laughed nervously and shook her head. “I’d best be getting back to the others,” she said. “We wouldn’t want them to get the wrong idea now, would we?”

“I don’t-” Vergil began before realising what she meant. A brief moment of panic struck him as he realised something - they wouldn’t exactly be alone when midnight came. How would the others react if he went through with this? No… This was exactly _why_ he was doing it tonight. If everything backfired he could just pretend he was trying to follow the usual customs. No one could be angry at him for making an effort, right? “...I’ll see you later,” he stated.

“Are you feeling okay?” Lady queried, staring at him closely. “You’re acting even stranger than usual tonight.”

“I have a lot on my mind at the moment,” Vergil answered, starting to close the door.

“Hey, wait a sec!” Lady protested, blocking the doorway. “Don’t just run away mid-conversation! We’ve talked about this, remember?”

“I assumed this discussion was over,” Vergil said dismissively.

“Come downstairs with me,” Lady said, grabbing onto his sleeve. “It’s less than an hour now, and it’ll take your mind off whatever’s bothering you.”

“I highly doubt that will be the case,” Vergil said, gently pulling himself free.

“You can’t know until you try,” Lady grinned. “Besides, I need someone to help keep Dante at bay - he gets pretty... _touchy_ when he’s drunk.”

“Is that so?” Vergil asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Of course, I can totally handle him myself,” Lady clarified. “But I’d rather avoid getting my new dress dirty unless I have to.”

“A sentiment I can agree with,” Vergil nodded. “Please feel free to go on without me - I shall join you shortly.”

“You’d better,” Lady said, jabbing him in the chest. “Or I’ll be back.”

“I am a man of my word,” Vergil stated, gently pushing her into the hallway so that he could finally close the door. “Try not to fall on the way down,” he added, glancing at her ludicrously high heels. Lady stuck her tongue out at him in response, then shakily made her way towards the stairs.

Vergil shut his door and sighed. She really was a difficult woman to deal with sometimes. He caught sight of himself in his small bedroom mirror and hummed thoughtfully. He was dressed in his usual attire, coat and all. Despite the intricacy of his clothing, he suddenly felt somewhat underdressed in comparison to Lady, who in his opinion had put in far too much effort for a gathering amongst friends. Having said that however, he realised as he thought back to the few moments he had spent downstairs that everyone appeared to have changed into at least _some_ sort of evening wear, even Dante. The same had been true at the Christmas meal, although for some reason he had cared less then. He opened his wardrobe and skimmed through the small collection of clothing he had managed to obtain. Most of them were old items belonging to Dante that no longer fit him, consisting largely of baggy shirts and faded leather trousers. He continued to look through them until he came across a smart looking shirt and a pair of dress pants given to him by Dante for Christmas. His brother had told him they could be useful for job interviews, if Vergil so desired.

He grabbed the items and laid them over the bed, admiring the way the dark colours complimented each other. Perhaps Dante had a vague sense of fashion after all. Interestingly, the tone of the shirt was similar to that of Lady’s dress, and Vergil found himself even more tempted to change. As he started to remove his coat however, he was overcome by a sense of unease. _Would this be this too much?_ He made his way over to the open bottle of wine on his dresser and hesitantly picked it up. He gave it a light sniff and sighed again. Perhaps just a little more to drink wouldn’t hurt. Dante was always going on about how it can help one relax, after all. Realising he had no glass to decant it into, he paused again before wrinkling his nose and taking a few swigs directly from the bottle. “How uncouth…” he muttered to himself, slamming it back down on the table. The effects were almost instant, and he soon found himself undressing with ease.

* * *

A short while later he appeared at the bottom of the staircase again, dressed in his new outfit and smelling vaguely of sandalwood (courtesy of a late Christmas gift from Lady). He looked around the room, wondering where everyone was until he spotted them all huddled around a small table in the corner. As he drew closer, he could see that they appeared to be playing a card game of some sort.

“Hey, there he is!” Dante said excitedly. He moved his chair to the side and dragged a stool over, so that Vergil could sit between him and Nero.

“...What’s going on here?” Vergil asked, reluctantly taking a seat.

“Drinking game!” Nero replied enthusiastically.

“Pick your poison,” Dante said. Shoving a grimy pile of cards into Vergil’s hands. Vergil cast his gaze over the bottle covered table and locked eyes with Kyrie, who smiled back nervously. Lady however, was nowhere to be seen.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to choose alcohol,” Nero said, patting his father on the back. “Kyrie’s just been drinking lemonade and orange juice.”

“Yeah but that’s way less fun,” Dante said, slamming a shot glass down in front of Vergil. “So, what’ll it be?”

“I have no idea how to play,” Vergil stated, eying the cards warily.

“Even better!” Dante exclaimed. “You’ll be hammered in no time!”

“I think I’d rather just watch,” Vergil said, placing his hand on the table.

“Whoa, look at that, you would have won!” Nero pointed out.

“I… what?”

“Reshuffle!” Nico called out. “It ain’t fair that he gets to join part way!”

“I agree,” Trish said, raising a glass of cloudy looking liquid.

“Feel free to exclude me from the distribution,” Vergil said, getting to his feet. “Incidentally, where is-”

“Oh hey, you really did come down!” Lady called out behind him. He turned to find her emerging from the bathroom with a large smile on her face. As she approached him, he realised that she was no longer wearing the ridiculous heels. “You look great,” she said, giving him a thumbs up.

“What happened to your footwear?” Vergil queried, walking over to meet her. The music from earlier had been turned down somewhat, but there was still an incessant thumping in the air, and he had to ask the question a few times, eventually leaning down to speak directly into her ear.

“You smell amazing,” Lady whispered to him before drunkenly giggling and stepping back.

“That doesn’t answer my question,” Vergil said, struggling to keep his voice steady as he felt his face flush.

“They were too annoying,” Lady said matter-of-factly. “Trish replaced the ones I bought for myself even though I told her not to - I could barely walk in the damn things!”

“I see…” Vergil replied, straightening up again. He much preferred her at her usual height. The two stared at each other in awkward silence for a moment before Dante called over to them.

“You guys want in on this?” he yelled.

“Are you playing?” Lady asked, squirming under Vergil’s gaze. He realised that he was staring at her a little too intently, and looked away for a moment.

“I don’t know how to,” he admitted. “But feel free to play yourself.”

“I can teach you if you like,” Lady offered. “Otherwise you’ll just be standing around by yourself.”

“I see no issue with this,” Vergil smirked. “I wouldn’t even be here if not for you.”

“You mean you wouldn’t be _downstairs_ so early, _right?_ ” Lady pressed, raising an eyebrow.

“Something like that,” Vergil said dismissively, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples. The effects of the wine he had consumed were still lingering, but he could feel it wearing off. As a result, he was starting to feel his nerves getting the better of him again, despite himself.

“At least come and watch,” Lady suggested, linking her arm with his and dragging him back over to the table. She asked everyone to shift around, then dumped Vergil in the seat between her and Nico. Nico looked at him scornfully, and he returned the gesture without hesitation. He moved as far away from the boorish woman as he could, leaning against Lady slightly as a result. Lady glanced up at him and smiled before placing a hand on his knee under the table, making him jump and almost fall off his chair.

“You alright there, bro?” Dante asked, noticing his shocked expression.

“I-” Vergil looked over at Lady who winked at him before returning to shuffling her hand of cards. “...I caught my finger between the chairs,” he lied.

“Whatever,” Dante said, seemingly forgetting he had asked a question in the first place. He was starting to look incredibly flushed in the face, and Vergil suspected it would not be long before he passed out. He’d be lucky if he even managed to welcome the New Year. “Cards?” he asked, offering Vergil a dirty bundle.

“Not for now,” Vergil said, shoving them away. He waited until everyone was looking down, and then leaned closer to Lady. “Why did you do that?” he hissed into her ear.

“Dunno what you’re talking about,” Lady replied. She showed her cards to Vergil and started to explain how the game worked. He looked on with feigned interest as he tried to internally rationalise her behaviour. Perhaps it had been an accident - she may have just been steadying herself on the stool. That would make a lot more sense than... He stiffened as she leaned her head against his shoulder. “Does that make sense?” she asked, looking up at him.

“I…” he swallowed. “I think I would understand it more if I saw the game in action,” he stated, glancing around the table again. If anyone looked over at that moment… He jolted again as he felt Lady’s stocking-clad foot brush briefly against his ankle.

“Okay, let’s go!” Dante called out. Lady straightened up almost instantly, and the game began. Vergil watched on in confusion as various cards were drawn and placed down in quick succession, with people yelling things like ‘hit’ and ‘fold’. The whole thing was making his head spin, and after a few rounds he got to his feet again, deciding he would just grab a book and read on the sofa until midnight approached. By this point everyone was so drunk they hardly noticed him leave, and he was easily able to sneak up to his room again without interruption. When he returned to the foyer, the card games had apparently stopped, and everyone was spread out again, either dancing together or engaged in private conversation.

“Only thirty minutes to go!” Lady announced as she approached him. “Are you excited?”

“Why should I be?” Vergil asked defensively. “The world doesn’t change just because a few numbers on a calendar do.”

“But this must be the first time you’ve celebrated for years, if ever, right?” Lady pointed out. “Doesn’t at least a little part of you feel happy about that?”

“It makes no difference to me,” Vergil stated, tutting as he realised that the sofa was now occupied.

“Maybe you’ll be more into it once you see the celebrations,” Lady said, pushing him towards Dante’s desk. The group had cleared some space amongst the bottles and placed a small CRT television down amid the clutter. With a bit of tinkering from Nico (despite her intoxication), they had managed to get it working and had tuned it to some sort of live broadcast. Vergil leaned closer, trying to make sense of the shapes on the fuzzy screen. After a while, he realised he was looking at a large crowd of people staring at a shiny ball of some sort. A huge digital clock was counting down behind it.

“All of this for a simple change of date?” he asked, shaking his head in disbelief. “Humans really are strange…”

“Well it only happens once a year, so might as well enjoy it,” Lady said, nudging him. “Speaking of which, where’s the wine I got you? You’ll probably want to have some ready for midnight.”

“I’m keeping it safe in my room for now,” Vergil replied, omitting the fact that he had taken a few more sips while retrieving his book.

“Probably a good idea,” Lady said, nodding her head in the direction of the others.

“Will you be joining me?” Vergil queried.

“If you’re happy for me to do so,” Lady said. “I did buy it for _you_ after all.”

“I can think of no-one I would rather share it with,” Vergil said, smiling slightly. Lady blushed in response, then grabbed a random bottle from the desk.

“Can I interest you in something else in the meantime?”

“I’ll be fine, thank you,” Vergil said. He could already feel his head starting to spin a little. Anything further and he was concerned he could lose all inhibitions entirely. _But maybe that was exactly what he needed…_

“Suit yourself,” Lady said, quickly downing a tumbler of some sort of dark yellow fluid. Vergil watched with mild concern as she poured another one. The last thing he needed was her passing out before midnight came. Without really thinking, he reached out and grabbed the glass as she brought it to her lips.

“Perhaps just one wouldn’t go amiss…” he said hesitantly, before swallowing the entire thing in one swift gulp. He handed the glass back to Lady, who looked up at him in shock. “That tasted just about as awful as I expected,” he stated, before suddenly placing a hand over his mouth and running towards the bathroom.

* * *

“...up! Come on, wake up!” Lady’s voice felt like iron spikes being shoved into his skull as she continued to shout into his ear. With each shake she gave him, it felt like he was rocking about on a small fishing boat amidst a storm. “Vergil!” she said, angrily this time. There was a sharp sting on his cheek as she slapped his face - hard. He finally managed to force his eyes open and saw her standing over him, hand raised in preparation to strike him again.

“What is the meaning of this?” he groaned. His voice sounded strange to his ears. He didn’t like it.

“There’s less than two minutes left, get your ass up!” Lady huffed, trying to drag him to his feet. He looked over her shoulder and saw everyone sitting in front of the small television, each with a glass of something in their hand. Even Kyrie appeared to be holding champagne of some sort.

“What happened?” Vergil asked, trying to sit up on the sofa but leaning back again when his head began to spin.

“Whiskey happened,” Lady grinned. “You kept stealing all my drinks from me, remember?”

“I-” Vergil sat up again, desperately trying to recall what she was talking about.

“Just one minute to go!” Dante called out excitedly. So, his brother hadn’t been the one to pass out after all… _Wait a minute!_

“What happened is not important,” Vergil said suddenly, forcing himself to his feet. He staggered slightly as a wave of nausea came over him. “You…” he slurred. “Me, you, I… We need to…”

“Just get over here,” Lady said, guiding him towards the TV. She handed him a glass of wine and held up her own. “I had to go into your room briefly to get this, I hope you don’t mind,” she whispered to him. “I put your book back for you too.”

“Well, look who made it,” Nero smirked. He was sitting with his arm around Kyrie’s waist, holding her close. Vergil felt a pang of jealousy.

“Shaddup!” Nico called out. “It’s starting!”

“Well, here goes,” Lady said, raising her glass. “Here’s to a New Year, and hopefully, a new you!”

“Wait, I…” _This can't be!_ Vergil thought desperately. He had gone from having half an hour to prepare, to just ten seconds. He froze, unsure what to do.

“Five!” Nico called out.

“Are you okay?” Lady asked, noticing Vergil’s uneasy expression. “It’s okay, once this is over you can rest some more.”

“Four!” shouted Dante.

“It’s not-” Vergil stuttered.

“Three!” yelled Nero.

“Hey, look at me for a second would ya?” Lady said, reaching up and turning Vergil’s face towards her. “I think you’ve got a little something…”

“Two!” Trish hollered.

“What are you talking about?” Vergil asked, hastily wiping a hand over his mouth. _Tell me I don’t have vomit on me like some kind of degenerate…_ he thought panickedly. Now there was definitely no way he could…

“One!” every shouted, Lady included.

Before Vergil could pull away, he suddenly found Lady’s lips against his, causing him to drop the glass he was holding. Lady’s free hand snaked its way into his hair, preventing him from escaping. His muffled cry of surprise was drowned out by the cheers of the others as the sound of bells and fireworks rang out from the television. Before anyone could notice, he wrapped his arms around Lady and lifted her closer, deepening the kiss even further. Eventually the pair pulled apart, each gasping for air.

“Happy New Year,” Lady panted, raising her glass. Vergil went to do the same and then looked away in embarrassment as he realised he no longer could.

“Here you go brother,” Dante said beside him, passing him a glass of champagne with a wink. “Too drunk to keep hold of the first one huh?” A knowing smile played at the corners of Dante’s mouth.

“Give me that,” Vergil said sternly, then turned to face Lady again. He took a deep breath and then raised the glass, clinking it against hers. “...Happy New Year.”

**Author's Note:**

> Happy New Year everyone! (Almost)
> 
> I mainly wrote this because I wanted to practice writing shorter stories, and also because I felt like writing something super fluffy haha - Apologies if anyone seems slightly out of character as a result, I'm not used to writing things like this XD
> 
> Little side note for anyone who reads the other one - This one is written mostly from Vergil's perspective, while the other one is mainly from Lady's. Looks like they felt the same about each other all along :P


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